


An Ode to You

by Kimonokey (TalkAboutMe)



Category: SHINee
Genre: (not rly but yea), Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Coming of Age, Eventual Romance, Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Historical, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kings & Queens, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Original Character(s), Mystery, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Princes & Princesses, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Tags Contain Spoilers, crownprince!jinki, king!jonghyun, lifeguard!minho, merman!taemin, no romance until kibum comes of age, prince!kibum
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2019-01-07 18:38:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12238467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TalkAboutMe/pseuds/Kimonokey
Summary: The young, unwanted prince of the Jadu kingdom finds someone to excite his tedious days inside the palace. Little does he know this person will soon become his new ruler.





	1. The First

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work I wrote back in 2015 and uploaded on my livejournal with the same name. I'm continuing it on here, but I'll be updating on my livejournal as well. The 7 upcoming chapters are all from 2015. Nothing is new, until later (very soon!!! I promise)
> 
> This series is back! It's too precious to me, and I have a lot in store for this series! I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it ^^
> 
> (back in 2015 I recommended readers to listen to bo en - miss you so feel free to listen to that if you want)

A sliver of sun ray peeped through the curtains of the young boy's room. It was early morning, the birds chirping merrily and the sun revealing itself from behind the clouds to paint the walls inside his spacious room.

The room’s walls were of a withered red, decorated with volatile lines; paintings made of pure gold that stretched from the roof down to the floor made of hardwood that creaked when you walked on it.

It was a room only meant for one person lazily lying around the large, king-sized bed; the prince.

Though the bed was too large for a mere nine-year-old, the concubine was prone on spoiling her heir. He was only viewed as a nuisance rather than a heir by the rest of the palace, but to the concubine, this boy was a prodigy. Given, it was her pride and joy, Kim Kibum.

The pride and joy stirred in his sleep, brows knitting together in annoyance as the distinct chirping noise only grew. But there was a tapping and clanking that seemed to outweigh the birds singing.

Fluttering his eyes open, Kibum immediately sat up, blubbering something about the best dried persimmons outside of the capital. The little boy smacked his lips together, drawing the sheets closer to his body only dressed in a white, silk gown and a pair of underwear. He burrowed his nose into the white fabric, taking a quick whiff of what he assumed was newly washed sheets. It smelled like nothing in particular, yet so much.

Sitting there, contently sniffing on the soft material, Kibum finally deemed it enough when he noticed from the corner of his eyes how feet walked behind the blinds of his room. Slowly peeling the sheets off his body, the nine-year-old crawled to the edge of his bed and sat up, scurrying over to the dark, wooden blinds with little green boats painted on it.

Tip-toeing to the edge, Kibum wrapped his tiny fingers around the wood and peeked out. He let his gaze rake over the different people dressed in plain-coloured silk and velvet clothing. It was only his personal maids and other eunuchs scattered around and talking, nothing out of the usual.

It was another one of those days where he would eat breakfast, carry on with lessons with the imperial teachers, read books by the library, listen to his mother teach him about manners and common courtesy, watch his older brother horseback riding by his window and end the day with a story time read by his personal eunuch.

It was a simple life he lived; anyone would die to live like he did. Only people naive enough would wish to live a life like his. Behind closed doors, people weren't aware of the freezing atmosphere around.

He was well aware people inside the palace did not appreciate his or his mother's presence despite being so young. His mother was merely a concubine who had no real status in the palace, and he was the offspring of a concubine and the king.

The king was someone whom the young boy looked up to. He was taught to become a man like his father, and he wasn't about to disappoint anyone. No less his mother who had fought for him to get in line for the throne after his older brother.

Tapping his fingers against the wood of the blind, Kibum pursed his lips together and took tiny steps towards the busy maids and eunuchs.

One of the maids seemed to notice him, alerting the rest. They all looked at him with wide eyes, immediately standing straight. Just as they were about to bow, the wretched witch entered the room.

Her green gown spread across the floor, its shiny material looking like the scales of a dragon and Kibum winced as she unnecessarily spread her fingers, showing off her incisor-like nails. She stared at him with piercing eyes, gleaming at the sight of his insignificant self.

He immediately stared down at his feet, trying to pretend he was invisible as he deeply bowed at her sight, the rest of the staff following suit.

"Scram," the queen drew out in a solemn voice, trying hard not to seem interested.  
The maids and eunuchs hesitantly lifted their heads, bowing again before they left with each of their own 'yes, my queen'.

Kibum couldn't help but frown watching them leave, wincing when he realised he had lifted his head and immediately stared down again. He could feel the gaze of the queen piercing onto his body and he shivered involuntarily.

"Teacher Oh isn't coming," the queen informed, walking closer to the boy, her lips twitching into what he guessed was a scowl at the sight of his feline eyes staring up at her.

However, she didn't address it, knowing the maids and eunuchs outside were prone on gossiping. She was smart enough not to piss off the king once it reached his ears that she had reprimanded the boy.

"May I ask why, my queen?" Kibum asked politely, gaze flickering down again at the alarming stare he was receiving.

The queen sneered, "You'll find out eventually, son."

Kibum hid a frown at the fact that the queen called him 'son'.

"Professor Lee will take over," she continued, smiling sickeningly sweet, "You'll meet him tomorrow. Today you're free to do whatever you'd like."

Kibum's eyes widened in surprise, not believing what he had just heard.

"Excuse me, my queen?"

"You heard me," the queen said calmly but visibly glared, "However you're not allowed to meet concubine Park until later."

Kibum nodded slowly, taking in the new - rather spontaneous - information.

"I'll take my leave then," the queen informed and a number of maids and eunuchs stepped forward behind her.

Kibum intently watched her back as she and the rest left, wondering what could have made her come up with such a decision.

He smiled, anticipating the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OLD 2015 NOTES FROM LIVEJOURNAL:
> 
> This is a new side project of mine during this hiatus I am in. I actually thought it was REALLY fun to write a historical au with jongkey in it. I really enjoyed writing this little piece. The upcoming chapters of this story will be short and easy-going. A bit angsty, but mostly quite fluffy by the end.  
> I have already started writing the second chapter, I usually write these before I go to bed on my phone so if you find any spelling mistakes... I am sorry lol but I am quite happy with this little piece, so I hope you enjoyed it. Please do comment what you think!!  
> also yes this was named after a song in shinee's new album, Odd! Please watch the mv, View, we need to reach 7mil views soon!!!
> 
>  
> 
> (oh god 'shinee's new album odd' IT HAS BEEN TWO YEARS)


	2. The Second

"What's the deal with this?" Kibum asked skeptically, keeping his line of sight at the rice paper plastered on the wooden wall behind Professor Lee.

Professor Lee pursed his lips together, narrowing his eyes at the younger boy who wasn't paying attention to him, before he spoke up, "This is for educational purposes, young prince."

Kibum broke eye contact with the piece of paper with characters on it and rolled his eyes at the red-faced professor, motioning for the older man to go on with a lazy wave of the hand. The professor bowed on the head slightly, moving a hand up to point at the characters.

"This one means 'gold'," Professor Lee informed, pointing at the sign drawn with the help of a fine brush and coal paint, "And the one beside it means 'successor'."

Kibum nodded, listening intently.

Professor Lee smiled, "The one with the tail means 'light' and the one to the side means 'tea'."

The professor went on and on about other important things. Most of it being about politeness and not to speak unless spoken to, about walking straight and keeping a smile on at all times.

One thing that seemed to shake him was how the professor told him about 'pleasing his king' and the choice of characters. He averted his gaze to stare down at his cloth-covered lap instead, slowly realising what the evil queen had set him up to.

Of course this whole situation came with a catch. Never could he catch a break in his own home. He was too young to deal with such a burden and responsibility.

Eyes brimming with tears, Kibum sat up on wobbly legs and quickly scampered out of the room meant for studying, blocking out whatever the professor was yelling out after him.

Turning the corner in the dark, narrow hallway, Kibum quickly tip-toed to his room with quick steps while he angrily wiped at his eyes. He shooed away any maid and screamed at his personal eunuch to leave him alone, the poor man helplessly scrambling away to hide behind the blinds.

Kibum's breath hitched as he cried, small fingers going over to lift off the robes on his body, tugging at the strings of his undergarment, pulling them fully until he was able to simmer out of the fabric completely. He was left standing in his usual see-through nightgown, white and silky and kind to the fingers. He sniffled slightly, smoothening out the material around his body before he stepped over to the open balcony where rays of sun were peeking inside.

The summer breeze was kind to his skin, feeling like a fresh drink of water, caressing his cheeks as the gentle gusts made his hair play to its folk dance. He sighed contently, breath still hitching and nose clogged to the point he had to open his mouth to not cause him to hyperventilate.

Taking a few steps forward towards the dark wooden railing, Kibum peeked out. The trees were coloured green as well as the grassy ground and shaggy bushes were scattered around everywhere.

The Jadu Kingdom was known for its green environment. Never would you encounter anything that didn't give off the vibe of life and thriving. Not only was the scenery of the Jadu Kingdom one of the most beautiful, but the air was also fresh and good for the brain to function at top condition.

After all, some of the most poetic authors and good mathematicians grew up in Jadu, as well as the healthiest boys and girls were born there.

Any prince in the other kingdoms sought a princess – soon to be queen – from the Jadu Kingdom. Only the healthiest and most beautiful women came from there.

But, they did not always look for queens from Jadu. No – cooks also wanted the plums and persimmons growing around. Young people around the world came to trade any goods they had for the finest jewellery in the world. Mostly it was diamond rings that gleamed under the sun; it was a popular request among young people who were planning on getting engaged, but also as dowry. Sometimes they went home with gold bangles for their new-borns as a birth gift.

However, one thing that was highly requested upon was a prince. Not just any prince, but a prince for the other rulers to let their second or third or fourth male heir marry.

It was also a fate that Kibum was doomed to face on the day he turned fifteen.

He let out a shuddered breath, eyes raking over the scenery; a sea of green and pink trees bestowed under him. But among it all was his older brother, the crown prince, riding on his white horse. The horse was his most valued property. It was named 'Sangchu', a ridiculous name in Kibum's honest opinion although he was only nine years old.

But there was something that had caught his attention at that moment. It was a black horse he had never seen before, but what mostly seemed to surprise him was the young boy sitting on its back. He couldn't see the boy's face clearly, but he could tell he was handsome from all the way up where he was standing.

Something seemed to tug at his heart, knowing that he couldn't go outside and greet the new guest that was having fun with his brother, so he sighed, walking into his room to lie down on his bed.

He counted how many days he had left of lectures that would only teach him to become a good spouse for his new, unknown ruler.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OLD 2015 NOTES FROM LIVEJOURNAL:
> 
> Not much to say but I'm actually happy with this one. I love writing this little side project he he he... and who is the black horse dude??? ...pretty obvious though lol


	3. The Third

The quick footsteps of the young prince sounded like pitter-patter against the newly polished wooden floor. He was running through the slender hallways with curtains decorating the walls, holding onto several scrolls in his hand.

Today was a very important day for Kibum. His father, the king, had one of his usual political meetings again, where his eunuch would bring in a number of scrolls meant for stamping if granted.

Kibum had many opinions, of which a number got ignored, but being the naïve nine-year-old that he was, he wanted his voice to be heard.

He didn't want to get married off to a king he didn't know, and speaking to his father wouldn't hurt too much, would it?

Turning a corner as he kept on running through the hall, he spotted a few maids walking around with bricks of fruit probably meant for the king's meeting. It wasn’t too far, he predicted, and stepped out onto the deck where you could view the inner garden.

There, a number of the maids with lower status walked around with plates of tea and desserts for the queen in her gazebo, all of them looking scared for their lives.

Kibum knew he wasn't allowed outside, especially not in the presence of the queen, seeing as he was the son of a concubine, but he had to speak to his father about what the queen was planning to do with him.

He couldn't turn a blind-eye on his own fate. His father couldn't just sell him off to someone; he just wanted his father to break the whole thing off.

Tip-toeing towards the open gates where the king was most likely camping with other men of privilege, Kibum peeked into the place, a tiny hand resting by the wooden doorframe while the other cradled the many scrolls.

And as he predicted, there his father was sitting in his blue-clad robe that covered his lap, along with a green cloth sitting diagonally over his chest.

Surrounded by a number of shrunken bonsai trees from Japan, the king looked like a monk. A handsome monk with long black hair put up into a neat bun, not a single piece of hair out place.

Although his father was extremely young for a king with a sixteen-year-old and a nine-year-old, it wasn't too uncommon for crown princes to marry at a young age. Kibum had learned that his father was only seventeen when he married the then fifteen-year-old queen.

Times had changed, of course, but many old traditions still remained in the Jadu Kingdom. One of them being that only the crown prince or the sons of the queen were allowed any sort of recognition.

Any daughter or son outside of the marriage of the king and the queen was doomed with a life of serving and listening rather than speaking.

That was something you could not escape, but with the still young and ambitious heart of Kibum's, he hoped that one day he would get liberated of the life he was forced to live.

Swallowing thickly, Kibum took a small step forward, one hand hugging onto the many rice paper scrolls in his embrace. With his head hung low, the young prince marched into the spacious room.

The chatter inside the room immediately quietened down as he stepped against the navy blue rug that stretched along the white marble floor that matched the equally white wooden walls.

All eyes were on him, he felt. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he suddenly felt nervous under so many gazes that he wasn't used to.

All eyes, except for the king's. The king kept on tending to his own business, reading over scrolls and pressing a block of red stamp against the very bottom of it or throwing it into a dustbin by his side if he didn't approve.

There were a ton, Kibum realised and was left baffled for a moment, he had only seen his father go through his scrolls once when he was seven and the queen was out on a trip with her parents. The king had suddenly stopped being so tense and with the innocent heart that Kibum had at that time, he had thought the queen was gone for good and his father would maybe love him again.

But soon the queen was back and his heart shattered when his father had started ignored him all over. Even going to the point of forgetting about his birthday two days later. He had spent it with his eunuch and imperial maids, although he had rather wanted to be alone.

Suddenly a couple of clearances of the throat brought the young prince out of his deep thoughts and he twitched, noticing how his father had lifted his head to look right at him.

Hugging onto the scrolls in his arms, Kibum stepped forward while he tried hard not to step on his long green robe. He had learned from his mother to walk straight and to never look up unless spoken to, so he kept his head held low.

"What's your business here?" the king spoke, staring at his son with a raised brow, "You're not allowed to be here. Hanchul, see him out."

The king gave a pointed look to his eunuch who immediately bowed and walked over towards the young prince, motioning for him to follow after him. Kibum raised his head only to see his father reading through a scroll, not paying him any attention.

But he stubbornly shook on his head, taking quick steps towards his father and dropped the many scrolls on the little wooden table. The king stared up at him, face hard and eyes looking indifferent as they stared into his.

Swallowing again, the young prince pointed a chubby finger at the scrolls and the king gave them a quick glance before he looked up at him.

"Please, read them!" Kibum pleaded demandingly, eyebrows drawn into a frown.

The king gave him a scowl, "Kibum, I don't have time for your little games."

Kibum felt his chest tighten, the thickness in his throat growing and he felt like sobbing. How could his father think his fate was some kind of game?

"It's not a game, father. Please, read them," Kibum asked patiently in a shaky voice, gaze kept downcast and hands wringing together.

The eunuch had whispered at him to move out of the room seeing as he was not allowed to be outside the inner palace and the king certainly did not want him around to disturb this important meeting, but he demanded a reply.

He needed to know what was going to happen to him.

The king merely sighed, eyes anywhere but on him, "Escort him out, Hanchul."

With a defeated look, Kibum let himself be seen out by the eunuch who was too afraid to touch him. Touching royals was seen as crime and the eunuch was a patient man enough not to want to be demoted to trash.

Although Kibum was used to being treated as a cockroach when in the presence of other imperial maids and eunuchs that didn't know him personally, his heart was still fresh and fragile as ever.

He couldn't understand why being him was such a bad thing.

With tears threatening to trail down his puffy cheeks, Kibum angrily walked down the creaking deck and into the palace.

He didn't bother looking at anyone prying at him as if he was a sheep amongst wolves. Or simply put someone who did not belong and someone who they were not afraid to tear to shreds.

Ignoring the depriving thoughts pestering at him like little birds tweeting at his ear, the young prince arrived at the open entrance hall. It was large, all too large for the number of people living there, but perfect for the indoor trees and several potted orange trees scattered here and there. They survived by the high glass roof that was open to let in fresh air most times of the day.

The place teemed with imperial and maids of lower status, eunuchs, other servants and even concubines-in-learning. The concubines who were already confirmed and lived in the palace were often required to validate if another concubine were to get accepted. It was one of the limited privileges a concubine had, other than touching the king. Kibum had learned quite a lot from Teacher Oh.

Drawing in a deep breath, Kibum stepped over to the concubines-in-learning, the ladies standing with their backs straightened out as his grandmother, the widowed queen, spoke. Her garb was as black as ever, never seething to mourn over the deceased king that she had loved so dearly.

His grandfather was the first king in history to never having concubines, always refusing his owns mother's wish of getting him a lady for the night. Kibum had admired that part of his grandfather and was always eager to hear the elderly pairs love story again and again. He knew his grandmother was a servant whom the king fell in love with when he was only fifteen, his grandmother at that time the same age.

He had been told from his grandfather that his grandmother was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but she was not one who kept quiet about her opinions. His grandfather was a man who admired a strong woman, a woman with a voice and opinions of her own. Kibum would always sit and listen attentively as his grandfather told the story of how his grandmother once 'accidentally' spilled boiling hot tea on his new robe when he had made an inappropriate joke.

Kibum remembered laughing and clapping along as his grandfather joked about his grandmother letting herself go and how she had become less loving towards him, all which resulted in the elderly woman hitting him upside the back of his head.

But as young as he was, Kibum could easily see it in their eyes. The love and admiration that he knew at that point that he would never experience. And no matter how much he loved hearing that story, he had stopped asking when the old king passed away from untreated pneumonia two years before.

Sighing, Kibum waited for the elderly woman to notice him, holding his head down all the while. He had to remember what his mother had told him. Keep silent; you are a man of no privileges.

"Oh, Kibum-ah," the widowed queen exclaimed, turning to look at the young prince who lifted his head, staring up at her with feline eyes. She smiled at the familiarity, those cat-like features being something the deceased king had passed onto his son and later the young prince.

Kibum tried smiling back, the corners of his lips curling up into that trademark smile of his, one that many citizens liked to gossip about, seeing as none of them had seen him with their own two eyes and only ever heard stories of him and his good manners. Many speculated that it was concubine Park's features that had passed onto her son, although many working around the young prince could assure that the boy looked like his father, unlike the eldest son who had inherited quite a lot from the queen.

"What are you doing here? Nothing to do?" the elderly woman asked, smiling lovingly at her grandchild who looked like her son in his youthful days.

The little nine-year-old's smile faltered for a moment before he gave a smile that would usually make his whole face light up, "I'm only bored, granny. Can I see mother?"

His grandmother gave him an apologetic look, "I'm afraid you can't, young prince, you know how the queen runs it in her quarters, don't you?"

Kibum gave a wobbly smile, pushing back the tears that brimmed at the corners of his eyes. He just wanted to be held by his mother, so immensely tired of everything and everyone treating him like a tool.

He was angry at the queen who never ceased in pushing him around and his father who never noticed him even if he screamed at the top of his lungs. It was something he had to live with, he told himself, swallowing hard.

"Alright?" the elderly woman put a hand on the young prince's shoulder.

He nodded, biting at his lower lip to stop himself from sobbing at the spot. He didn't want to embarrass himself in front of everyone. It was another thing his mother had taught him, to never cry in public because he was a prince and princes don't cry. Ever.

Turning around, Kibum ignored the cooing noises from the soon-to-be concubines. He hated being treated as a child by everyone. He was old enough to know he didn't want to marry anyone. He was old enough to–

Stumbling backwards from an unexpected impact, the young prince fell onto his bum with a little thud, his hands at the back to support his body. Looking up from sitting at the cold marble floor, Kibum stared up at the tall figure before him.

The sun shining in from the open roof blinded his sight, the only thing he could see being black hair gleaming in the light, looking magical as they played with the light gust in the room.

Suddenly a hand was held out to him and he realised what compromising situation he was in and immediately flew up into a standing position.

Staring up at the face before him, Kibum was utterly surprised to realise what handsome face stood behind that sturdy body. The young man before him didn't look a day over eighteen, his sharp features giving him a surprisingly youthful look. His eyes were large and crescent shaped, forming into little bowed slits when he smiled so charmingly down at him, his nostrils lightly flaring up. The young man had a beautifully crooked smile that could hook any young guy or gal up for good.

"Everything okay, kid?" the man asked in a gentle voice that contrasted so deeply with his hard face, straightening on his white silk tunic that fell longer at his back. It was a clad that was often worn over a shirtless top and different coloured pants that went puffy at the bottom. This young man wore one of a washed orange colour.

Kibum should have recognised that outfit sooner, because before he could get a word out, his older brother strutted over with his Chinese crested cat lazily draping itself over the young man's arms.

"Why aren't you bowing before the fourth prince of Haneul?" his brother sneered at him when he stayed stiff on his spot, unmoving.

The fourth prince laughed and Kibum tried to smile, bowing stiffly in response.

"It's okay, he didn't know," the young man before him reassured his glaring half-brother, "I'm Kim Jonghyun of Haneul. I didn't know you were the young prince, I apologise for my rudeness."

Kibum bowed again, this time less stiff. He held his head down, not sure if it was allowed for him to speak or not. He guessed it was okay, seeing as the young man had spoken to him first, "Kim Kibum of Jadu."

His brother smiled proudly, "My little brother, second in line."

Kibum didn't try to correct his brother, knowing that he was definitely not second in line because of the queen setting him up to get married off to another household, or worse, kingdom. He didn't want to speak of a fate he would soon face; he wasn't ready to admit defeat.

"He's cute, isn't he?" his brother beamed at him, his smile looking like it might have made flowers start growing, going over to pat on his back encouragingly. He nearly stumbled forward at the hard hit, face contorting in discomfort.

"You're hitting too hard, you moron," Jonghyun laughed, giving him a glance before he moved to fumble for something in his pockets. Kibum watched him out of curiosity, forgetting about holding his head low.

"Ta-da," the young man exclaimed happily, holding out a kind of pink lollipop with a light layer of blue sugar coated around it, "It's a lollipop from my kingdom!"

Kibum stared at it with wide eyes, trying hard not to reach out and grab it. He had to show manners and be polite, another thing his mother had taught him.

"I heard from Jinki he had a brother yesterday while we were horseback riding," Jonghyun held the lollipop out for him, "It's a gift solely for you."

Kibum's eyes glistened, watching the delicious-looking treat being shook in front of his eyes. Lifting a chubby hand up to grab it, a sharp voice broke the good atmosphere around the three boys.

"Jinki, Kibum, what are you up to?" the queen stepped forward, her red lipstick in a shade darker than usual and her shiny pink gown falling behind her like a blanket. She looked beautiful, no one could deny, but no one could deny that she was a mood-killer either.

Jinki winced grabbing at Kibum's shoulders to move him back. Kibum only held his head low, the prince of Haneul looking confused as ever before he deeply bowed along with the rest around.

"Go," Jinki whispered to him and he did, rushing out to the narrow hallways all the while trying hard not to slip on his oversized gown.

His mood had dropped from finally feeling happy being under such a warm presence; all thanks to the stranger he had only before seen through a balcony.

Sighing sadly, the young prince made his way into his room, flopping onto his bed.

He didn't care about the lollipop at that point; he just wanted to meet the young man once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OLD 2015 NOTES FROM LIVEJOURNAL:
> 
> introducing jinki and jonghyun!!! whooo, okay not much to say other than this was longer than the previous chapters. very happy with the outcome. so so sleepy... finally had wifi to post this though!


	4. The Fourth

Kibum stood still while an imperial maid held a beige velvet cloth before him, one eye closed as she focused the other on his body and her mouth twisted into a purse.  
With sun rays inviting themselves into his room through the open glass door of his balcony and warming up the room that had grown dull in the young prince's eyes, said boy drew his lower lip between his teeth when the maid started touching near his waist. Only imperial maids and personal eunuchs were allowed to touch at members of the royal family, but only if required.

For Kibum, days like this were nothing special. Often times, he had to stay completely stiff with his back straightened out, legs aching after standing for a while and brain painfully pounding against his skull from the sun heating at his head.

But today, he had realised that the maid testing out a couple of outfits on him was using cloths that he usually would only wear on special occasions. And with the curious heart that Kibum had, he was almost intrigued to ask.

"Maid Hwang, may I ask what the special occasion is?"

The maid smiled, her hazel eyes focused on his arms now, starting to crouch as he was much shorter than her, "A prince has made his way to our kingdom, young prince."

Kibum furrowed on his little eyebrows, lips pulled into a pout as he thought of what kind of prince would come to his father's kingdom. His lips curled into a shy smile of anticipation.

"Is it Prince Kim of Haneul?" He asked, trying to mask his excitement but lost balance of his perfect stance out of fidgeting too much. The maid scolded him gently while putting the velvet cloth to the side among other colourful fabrics.

He immediately stood straight, scanning her features and frowning when she lightly shook on her head, "I'm afraid not, young prince, but it's someone much, much smaller."

Kibum was utterly confused, never hearing of such a small prince before. Maybe they were a child, too?

Deciding on dropping the matter, Kibum was delighted to realise the maid had taken out a cloth of the finest materials; a semi-transparent cotton robe. It was of a light blue colour, white and navy blue sea-wave forms sewn along the hem. Not many in Jadu bore material of this quality and it was a known fact that the Kingdom of Haneul had many beautiful beaches and rivers, so Kibum couldn't help but smile. He somehow felt like he would carry a part of the fourth prince with him.

The maid noticed his giddy mood and decided to comment on it despite knowing speaking to royals first was forbidden, "Do you enjoy wave forms, young prince?"

Kibum bit on his lower lip, eyes twinkling and gleaming with the sun, "Maid Hwang, will I wear this?" he asked and pointed towards the light blue material in her pale hands.

Maid Hwang gave the material a quick glance before looking up at the young prince whose eyes were wide and lips curled up at the corners. She had never seen the prince in such a mood; the young boy had often been seen kept his head low. The times his face was shown he had only born an expressionless look.

"Yes, young prince, this was handcrafted in Haneul personally for you," the maid explained, her smile growing wider when he boy looked close to tears. She had always loved seeing his smile since becoming assigned as his personal maid, there was just something special about the boy that she couldn't point out. She simply could not understand how such a bright smile hid behind a dull character.

Kibum was happy, more than just that, but a single uneasy thought had still managed to etch itself into the back of his head: why would anyone send him things? Especially expensive things. Wouldn't the queen order the maid to trash the gifts that he would get sent before he could even view them?

"Maid Hwang," Kibum spoke, the young lady looking up at him from draping the material over his smaller body, "Ask them to take this back."

Even though he knew that the material did not belong to him, he still did not want it to get thrown away somewhere and instead get returned. It was very beautiful and special, worth more than his petty heart in many people's eyes.

To his surprise, the maid looked shocked and didn't try to hide it, her wide eyes staring into his before she gave him a stiff shake of the head. She brought the fine cotton material down to her lap. She smiled reassuringly at the slightly frightened boy, "You shouldn't refuse something like this, young prince, it is meant for you to wear today."

Kibum shook on his head fervently, "I cannot, maid Hwang, what about the queen?"

"This is for you, nothing that the queen needs to waste her precious energy on confiscating."

The young prince felt slightly taken aback by how the maid spoke back, but he didn't put much effort into thinking about it. He instead stared at the beautiful material, eyes like glued on it as if it was some sort of candy. This was a gift for him by the Haneul Kingdom. Him alone. No one else.

"Is it really okay?" Kibum asked all the while still staring at the cloth by the woman's lap, lips pulled into a tight line out of nervousness. He gave a shy smile when the maid nodded confidently, batting her short eyelashes once.

Reaching a hand towards the white cotton cloth, Kibum grazed a single finger over it. His eyebrows almost instantly lifted in delight because it was soft, all too soft to be made by human hands. It felt more and more like hot spring water the longer you let your touch linger on it. He almost felt like draping himself all over the material just for the heck of it.

It was the first time in his short life of living that he had ever felt a material nearly as soft and smooth like that. Even if the queen often got cloths from Haneul because the kingdom wanted to form a better relationship with the queen's origin kingdom, the Seoktan Kingdom.

It was a kingdom known for its many beautiful ladies, and scarce amount of men. But even with so many ethereal beings walking around the towns, it was a kingdom no one wanted to associate with. Not only was there little nature around with streets painted black from the ashes of the infamous coal mines, but it had a ferocious and merciless tyrant who liked to trade his women to other kingdoms for gold and other supplements like fruit and material. The wedding dress of the Tyrant's heir's wife was made in Haneul, and the cake was made in Jadu, as well as the fruit imported were from there.

The only reason the king of Jadu dealt with that kingdom was because of his wife, the queen. He got one of the seven beauties of the Seoktan Kingdom to become his queen in exchange for a better relationship full of many deals and trades.

But even though the two kingdoms were establishing a fine kinship, the king's mother wasn't one to agree or stay quiet about her opinions when speaking to her one and only son. She simply did not like the idea of blending Jadu blood with – what she thought was – filthy Seoktan blood, which was the result of the first prince, Jinki.

Although she loved her grandchild, she couldn't help but feel some sort of resentment. Not for the boy, but for her son who wouldn't marry concubine Park who he had known since he was a child, but instead chose the wretched queen who he barely knew the name of at the day of their wedding.

It was a known fact that concubine Park was a beautiful woman, but no one knew to what degree except for the people in the palace. And many could assure you that the concubine was a beauty to outmatch any other; even the queen, if you dared speak up.

But it was rarely needed, because the queen knew herself her husband was fond of the concubine for that very reason, but also several other reasons. If she was insane enough, she would have called it love. The widowed queen knew this was the start of why the queen hated both the concubine and her offspring, Kibum.

And these were all facts that Kibum was mostly aware of. He knew many things from snooping around in the palace and reading books from the forbidden library that was meant for anyone but him. Finding out about this, his older brother started sneaking some books from the place to him, knowing his little brother would love to read them. They were far more interesting and contained more complicated characters that Kibum would be thrilled to learn.

Smoothing the soft, pure fabric on his cloth-clad thighs, Kibum stared down at the interesting white and blue wave forms. They were firmly embroidered on the light blue see-through cotton, almost looking like they would move if you looked for too long. It was almost hypnotising, Kibum thought, unwillingly tearing his gaze away from the material to look up at the maid. He gave a little giggle, scrunching up his nose cutely and smiled shyly, the corners of his lips curling up in that same way his mother's would.

The maid smiled back at the young boy, pushing back the tears that were building up in her eyes over the sight of pure happiness before her. She simply could not understand how anyone would willingly hate and terrorise such a young and fragile heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OLD 2015 NOTES FROM LIVEJOURNAL:
> 
> ...I feel like anyone who doesnt know what Jadu, Haneul and Seoktan means just thinks im making up some lame ass names for the kingdoms BUT I SWEAR THEY MEAN STUFF IN A LANGUAGE YOU PROBABLY NEED TO GOOGLE TRANSLATe *whispers* korean
> 
> also, im quite intrigued to know how people make their lj posts these large white thingies instead of how my turn to when I click on the link... hmmm (im sorry but I cant make any more sense than this)


	5. The Fifth

Kibum stared at the reflection in a large, body sized mirror. His eyes were glazed over with admiration and pure fondness because in his eyes, he saw someone happy. Someone who felt equal, at last. People of Jadu couldn't see it, but if the Haneul Kingdom gifted him something as precious as clothes handcrafted by their finest sewers, then he indeed felt special.

Pursing his lips into a tight smile that revealed his soft dimples, the young prince bathed in the sight of himself covered in the light blue see-through cotton cloth with wave-forms embroidered along the hems. It fell just above his knees, his arms fitted into the sleeveless area. Underneath, he was wearing another sleeveless attire made of chain out of a pure silver-looking material that glistened like a lighter shade of gold. Almost like brass, but had a white, pearly sheen to it. It was much lighter, too, as well as felt cold on his torso. He wasn't wearing anything underneath it, after all. It was a beautiful sight, the young prince thought, never seen anyone wear anything close to this in their kingdom.

Of course, he wasn't only wearing that. He also wore his tiny golden crown and a pair of tight navy slacks hugging onto his thick-boned legs. They had similar coloured chains as the attire hanging at the sides, making him look tougher than you would think a nine-year-old is. A little lower, he was barefoot. After all, in Jadu, wearing socks or shoes inside was considered disrespectful. But around his ankles, he wore bangles of pure gold with tiny, real pink pearls hanging around the edges.

Overall, the whole outfit gave him a mysterious look. He almost looked like those strange sea-people with scaly fishtails instead of legs that he had read about in a dusty old book from the forbidden library. In a sketched picture he had seen in that very book, Kibum realised these people were sea hybrids and were very scarce; merpeople.

They had only been seen in Haneul before and resided in the seas and – more rarely – the rivers. Often times, the people of Haneul had ordered the sea hybrids to craft these chain attires. No one really knew what they were made of, but the material was sturdier than any pure diamond, and both looked and felt nicer. It was more valued than his own life, he had come to realise.

But what had caught the young prince's undivided attention was the very outfit that the sea hybrid wore in that drawn picture. The outfit was very similar to the one he was wearing, except these sea people only wore that chain attire. The rest was just their type of skin. It was a robe-like membrane over their backs and could have many different colours that apparently shone in the sun and most commonly were multi-coloured; like the rainbow. The less seen types were those of one colour.

This membrane matched their tails colour to an extent, and sometimes even the skin on their human-like torso, arms and face. Not only that, but these sea people also had that same membrane between their fingers and near their ears, as well as long and thick eyelashes of the same colour. Even the tongue and nails, but not their hair. It was of a different, random colour, to his surprise.

He had to ask prince Jonghyun about them. He had surely met many sea people in his long life. He was sixteen, after all.

Smiling shyly at his very exciting discovery, the young prince ran off down the hallway where he had heard his mother, concubine Park, calling for him. Hearing her melodious voice was very reassuring to the young boy, not having met his own mother in over a week since the incident of finding out he was eventually going to get married off. He tried not to burst out into tears when he finally saw her, entering the large hall with a high roof and expensive decorations everywhere your eyes could reach.

His mother was tall and her jet-coloured hair was long and thick and fell down on her petite shoulders. She was clad in a light blue cloth that fell down to cover her legs and feet with light blue colour turning into just a darker shade of colour at the bottom. The lighter part was similar to his own and the material looked just as soft. He wondered if maybe she also had received clothes as a gift from Haneul.

Lifting his gaze up to stare at his mother's pale, smiling face, he as well broke into an almost identical-looking smile. He had heard many times they had the same smile, but he knew he looked like his father. Mostly it was in the eyes and the lips. His nose was almost a mixture between both, but his grandmother said everything but the smile was like his father's. He trusted in what his grandmother said and went with it. He looked like his father.

Personality wise, it was a whole other story. His mother was gracious and painfully honest at times; even to the point the queen had nearly thrown a plate at her in a family gathering for the queen's birthday when his mother had – in a less discreet way – said that the queen's diamond earrings hadn't matched her dull face. He still remembered his father's hearty laugh at the queen's misery, another thing he had inherited from him.

To an extent, Kibum was similar. He had a quiet nature when alone, but was talkative and boisterous together with his older brother, the crown prince. It was only with Jinki that he could be himself; his true self.

Kibum might not have been a social butterfly considering he didn't have any friends his age, or spoke out loud for that matter, but he believed that if he got the chance to make friends, he would be a fun person. A person people didn't hate. A person he didn't have to feel so ashamed over to be.

"Kibum-ah," his mother's soft voice called for him yet again, "Stand beside me."

As he was ordered, Kibum walked over to stand near his mother. Her stance was stoic, back straightened out to make her look dignified even in a palace where the queen ruled. He looked rather petty standing beside her with his shoulders slightly hunched forward and knees turning inwards to rub at each other.

He had yet to lose his baby fat and it was very visible in not only his thick legs and arms, but his chubby cheeks as well. He looked nothing like his step-brother who had both ripped arms and muscular thighs, even at the age of sixteen. He couldn't wait to get leaner and taller like his brother or even prince Jonghyun.

"Mother, who is the small prince that's coming?" he suddenly asked, trying to straighten his back as much as possible without looking like he's trying. He stared right in front of him where a bunch of maids were scampering around the hall with their respective plate of food.

His father, the king, sat down on a higher spot with red and brown curtains at the back. He was wearing a red, silk robe, accompanied by a similar coloured rim of fabric tightened around his waist and his golden crown. Beside him sat the queen, lips the same colour as blood and gaze sharp like knives. She wore a green robe, the one that looked like dragon skin. Its silk, as well as her smaller crown, shimmered under the many lights that illuminated the hall and gave off an intimidating aura to Kibum. He simply couldn't stand that dress.

“You’ll see,” his mother responded with a tight, dimpled smile when he looked up at her for a second.

Looking a little further down, Kibum spotted his half-brother, the crown prince, sitting at the king and the queen's feet. He wore a clad similar to theirs, but in a red colour that was a shade lighter than the king's. He had that same fabric around his waist and a crown that looked similar to his father's. It was smaller and fit right in the middle of the prince's hair, but had an identical pattern. Because Kibum was not the crown prince, his looked a whole lot scrawnier when compared to his father's and brother's crown.

It was like comparing a big pearl to a measly pebble. Which he almost felt like half of the time he stood beside his brother. He was not someone required or useful in the Jadu Kingdom like the crown prince, he was only going to get married off and never be seen again meanwhile being ignored and treated as a cockroach in his own house.

A part of him wanted to get away, but a bigger part just wanted to be acknowledged and accepted the way he was. He simply could not figure out what was so bad about being him. He couldn't possibly harm anyone as powerful as the queen, and he was a fairly nice person; he once helped a tiny bird who had fallen from its nest and down on his balcony to fly again. He was helpful to that bird, so how come he wasn't needed in his own kingdom?

"We are here to announce the arrival of the fifth prince of Haneul," suddenly the deep voice of an imperial guard clad in powerful armour spoke, back straightened out and feet close together.

Kibum let his gaze wander to where the tall guard stood a few metres in front of where the king and the queen sat with the crown prince. He had swords tucked away at his sides and a dark blue cloth under his heavy metal armour that fell just above his knees. It had two large white marks of deer’s embroidered on each side; they were meant to show which kingdom the guard belonged to and the deer was the nation animal of Jadu.

Kibum also knew that the nation animal of Haneul was the Phoenix, and the nation animal for Seoktan was the bear. There were also the kingdoms of Seul and Kwon who had respectively the lion and the viper. There were a whole lot of other kingdoms that Kibum knew the nation animal and colour of, but they weren’t neighbouring with Jadu, who was the central.

Kibum watched as the guard bowed deeply for a number of seconds before he stood just as straight as earlier and went off to stand aside where he wouldn't block the way. Kibum and his mother stood just a few metres away from the man and Kibum couldn't help but stare at him. Getting a better look at the man - no, the boy - Kibum realised he didn't look too old. He looked like he could be the same age as his brother or the fourth prince of Haneul.

He pursed his lips together, admiring someone as young as him to get to be a guard and accept swords of his own. Kibum wished he could one day do the same, despite only being a mere prince with no value.

And before any more thoughts could invade his mind, a dozen guards in chain armour marched into the hall and walked on the blue carpet before them. They were large and bulky and looked intimidating as a shiver travelled down the young prince's spine. Their colour was magenta and their nation animal was the viper.

It was the Kwon Kingdom who had arrived, despite the guard saying it was Haneul. Kibum noticed how his father's eyebrows knitted together in confusion before a number of Jadu guards placed their hands near their swords. Including the young one standing close to him and his mother.

"No need to be so on-guard, my old friend, Taekwan," a raspy voice spoke from behind the curtains, addressing his father's real name, "We came here because of a notice from Her Majesty."

The king merely scoffed, "Last time you came, we had to replace fifty cows and thirty-two pear trees."

The man who finally emerged from behind the large curtains chuckled lowly. To Kibum's surprise, he wasn't wearing anything that signified he was a royal, despite speaking to his father so casually. It was something only royals alike could do even if you were close to a commoner. But instead, this man was wearing a black vest made of regular fabric that fell down below his knees and had magenta hems, like the nation colour.

His muscular arms were exposed, only to show two large black tattoos of vipers and his torso was covered with a black chain attire, one that looked like the one his guards wore.

And that's when things clicked for Kibum; it was the king of Kwon. It could be no one but the king, because he remembered reading a book of the different nations and the Kwon Kingdom did not like luxuries. Instead, they dressed their royals in commoner clothes and had both their sons and daughters go to camp to become ferocious warriors. It was something that the Kwon Kingdom was known for; their healthy women who gave birth to war heroes.

Many of these war heroes were also females and could beat half of the men of Jadu and Seoktan. For Haneul, Kibum had heard they had a special fighting style that mostly hung on careful strategy and swiftness with bows, unlike Jadu who leaned on to impulsive strategy with two swords. He also knew Seul and Kwon were similar; power and force, but you could still easily know which one was more experienced in the field. For Seoktan, because it was sixty-nine percent women, they weren't allowed to fight. It was said to drain on your beauty. The men that did live there often used the old Kung Fu fighting style with sticks.

"What do you want," his father started with a slight sneer, "Second in line."

The king of Kwon broke out into a fit of laughter, letting his head fall back before he collected his composure and walked to stand right in front of his father. Before he stopped, the man drew out his long sword and held it out towards his father. And on cue, several guards from both kingdoms drew out their swords as well.

"How about a duel," the man spoke, "For the prince."

His father laughed, "You? Isn't the old wife enough?"

"My son, second in line, you jokester."

His father watched with a lifted brow as the king of Kwon retrieved his sword, along with every other guard.

"Your son, I have heard he's good with swords," he continued, "How about he decides who's good enough for the young prince."

The man turned around and signalled his men to stand aside in front of the Jadu guards. Every guard, except for one; one that wore a silver crown with ruby diamonds.

It was the second prince of Kwon, Nam Woohyun. He had a handsome face with a sharp nose and was nearly as tall as his brother, but looked far more muscular in the clothes that were similar to his father's. Though this Woohyun didn't have any tattoos. He had heard about him before through eavesdropping on his father, but never expected the boy to be as good-looking and tall as he was.

Immediately the boy bowed deeply in front of the king and stood up straight again. He didn't speak and only seemed to wait.

The king of Kwon clapped his hands, "Woohyun, second in line."

His father's eyes brimmed with delight, "Age?"

"Seventeen."

Looking up to his side where his mother was standing, Kibum noticed her stance going rigid and how she drew her red lips into a tight purse. He frowned, but turned to watch on the show.

Without a single exchange between the two, guards that we're twice as many as before marched into the hall. But they all had different colours. Some were beige, some purple and others green.

He knew that the beige was Seul, the green was Seoktan and the purple was none other than Haneul. They were all guards from the neighbouring kingdoms, and frankly, Kibum wasn't sure what was going on.

Immediately three kings and their respective queens walked in. The ones of Seul were clad in brown and orange robes similar to the ones in Jadu, but were cropped at the front to reveal pale legs. The ones of Seoktan wore black garbs that fell like curtains on the floor, meanwhile wearing tight chain clothing. And then the ones of Haneul. The ones he had anticipated the most.

Both the king and the queen sported long white hair that fell down on their shoulders. Their clothes were similar to the ones Kibum and his mother wore, but their colour scheme was of a light purple that almost looked blue.

The king was topless under a cotton fabric that shined in the sun, almost like pearls, and his skin was tanned, likewise was the queen's. They both looked stunning with large eyes and sharp teeth that looked close to that of a dog’s when they smiled brightly.

Kibum almost fell in love at the sight. How wonderful must life be in Haneul?

And immediately, Seul introduced their fifth daughter, fourteen years of age. She had sharp eyes and rosebud lips. Her name was Ahn Sohee.

Next Seoktan introduced their first daughter, as expected, sixteen years of age. Her features were the exact opposite of the first princess’; instead she had soft, brown eyes that gleamed in the light and thin, red lips. She looked kind and harmless; her name was Jung Eunji.

And so, finally, the next prince or princess stepped forward into the scene. And immediately, Kibum knew it was a man by the way that he walked, but he wasn't wearing any heavy attires or armours, he realised when no rustle was made from the clothes. Instead it sounded like silk being nudged when the boy pushed past his parents.

Kibum's eyes widened when he took in the figure of a familiar prince. He was wearing different from last time; topless with a blue see-through cotton fabric that revealed muscles. Hugging into his legs, were a pair of blue tight, scaly slacks lined with brass at the hems.

He almost looked like a sea hybrid; Kim Jonghyun, sixteen years of age and fourth in line for the throne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OLD 2015 NOTES FROM LIVEJOURNAL:
> 
> honestly I love writing this story so much I stayed up so late to write this on my phone (started at 1am though, so...) and then I couldnt sleep so I fell asleep around 4am... well... it was worth it.
> 
> also introducing different kingdoms! yay! if you havent guessed yet, Haneul is a kingdom of WATER AND SEAS AND MERDEMONS!!!!! no but I was inspired by Link's zora tunic on twilight princess for their clothes... to an extent.


	6. The Sixth

Kibum kept his gaze on the fourth prince all the while his father spoke in a privileged tone to the four kingdom rulers and heirs before him, all looking highly irritated with identical scowls gracing their features.

Except for Prince Jonghyun; he stood quietly to the side with a straight back and tanned arms hanging to his sides, a wide-eyed look on his face as he curiously scanned the palace with his honey brown orbs.

The fourth prince's father, the king of Haneul, had his hands clasped together behind him, eyebrows creased to show his discomfort with the whole situation. Meanwhile the queen was patiently listening to Kibum's father, her attentiveness making her look intelligent, Kibum thought.

Looking back to where the prince was still curiously looking around, Kibum started nibbling on his lower lip when the short boy huffed out a sigh, shoulders slightly slumping and chest deflating before he quickly picked up his professional stance again. He looked aggravated and tired to Kibum. Why would a prince from such a friendly kingdom look so annoyed?

Caught in his thoughts, Kibum jolted when he was met with a set of magically coloured eyes. They glistened from the light coming through the usual open glass roof that had taken over most of the palace. His eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly stared down at his bare feet, cheeks tinting a faint shade of scarlet.

He was caught staring by the prince, and he was afraid that if a maid had caught him, they would tell on him to the king or the queen. He wasn't allowed to stare directly at higher people, he reminded himself, mother wouldn't be too delighted to know he disobeyed the rules through a maid.

So he kept his gaze and his heart down, eyes lightly brimming with tears and nose burning from wanting to cry. He had a soft heart and he hated it. He hated it all so much.

Inching closer to his mother beside him who kept standing with her back straightened out, Kibum quietly sniffled and grabbed onto her silky blue dress, catching the woman's attention.

She stared down at him with big eyes that seemed like they were glazed over, waiting for her son to speak up as he just stared up at her with his lower lip slightly jutted out.

"I looked," he admitted in a low voice, breath faltering slightly as he gasped to catch his breath.

He watched as his mother's face remained the same, untouched, her almond-shaped eyes keeping on staring at him. He stared down at his feet when she didn't respond and slowly let go of his grip on the soft fabric of her gown.

"Did anyone see you?" she suddenly spoke, looking back to the front to watch on. He pursed his lips together in nervousness, keeping his gaze down.

"The prince. The blue one."

He felt how his mother slightly inched closer to him, her robe-like gown swiping along the marbled floor. He stared up at her with feline eyes, taking in the conflicted look on her usually spot-free face when she crouched and turned towards him. Swallowing hard, Kibum let his mouth barely fall ajar in anticipation.

"Are you sure he was the only one?" she whispered to him, eyes dangerously wide and a hand quietly going down to grab at his feeble upper arm.

He hesitantly nodded on his head all the while looking into his mother's large eyes, stomach twisting in nervousness over the alarming situation he found himself in. But to his surprise, his mother merely sighed, he believed it was on relief, and stood straight again, going back to watching.

And so he did the opposite, heart stuck in his throat as he stared down at his feet.

They were slim and scrawny-looking despite him being rather chubby, the nails cut short and without a speck of dirt tucked under them. They were clean and well-groomed. He couldn't remember a single moment in his life where he was dirty anywhere on his body. He wasn't allowed outside the walls of the palace after all, never before felt the grass growing on the many fields of Jadu or touched a wild growing tree other than the ones scattered inside the palace.

He sighed lightly, instead keeping his ears open and listened to his father end his short speech.

A deep voice cleared on his throat rather awkwardly, "So, Your Majesty, you're saying a duel between our children?"

"I thought we came here for an agreement, not a duel, Your Majesty," the queen of Seoktan spoke in her whiny voice that sounded like it broke one too many times. She pursed her red lips together into a discreet sneer, something Kibum didn't witness.

The queen of Haneul scoffed and spoke in a grand voice, "I don't see why this is ruffling your feathers when it was a promise between us and Jadu to begin with, Queen Lee."

The queens of Seoktan and Seul made sounds of dislike, some of the kings clearing their throats in awkwardness. The queen of Haneul hummed in a mocking way.

Kibum furrowed on his brows, lips tightly shut together. He was confused, not understanding what was going on by then.

"I thought we agreed on fifth prince, Queen Go, where is he then?" the queen spoke in her toxic voice, eyeing the queen of Haneul before she switched to look at the king, obviously asking the king. Kibum peeped slightly, knowing that the maids were too busy serving silver plates of food from the consistent chatter of small footsteps.

"The fifth prince is merely two, Queen Han, fourth prince is a better fit," the king of Seul defended the rulers of Haneul but not before his wife scoffed, "Every candidate has to be over the age of the young prince for him to be, well,  _carried away_."

Kibum frowned over to where the speaking king was standing in his beige robe, grey hair neatly combed into a pony-tail. He looked rather old, eye bags prominent and beard growing on wrinkly and pale skin. He didn't quite like how the old king spoke about him getting 'carried away'. Were they taking him somewhere?

"Alright then," the queen blew air out of her nose, "With that, why won't we get this over with quickly then?"

Kibum seemed to pale, having no idea what was going to happen to him. He wasn't clueless like many had liked to assume - he was actually quite a gifted child. He knew they were speaking about him and he hated how he didn't know what they were discussing.

Before he could develop his thoughts any further or start bawling on the spot, a gentle sound of someone saying 'wait' echoed through the silent hall. It almost sounded like a croon to his ears and he recognised it immediately.

"Her Majesty," a light voice spoke that sent chills down his spine, "Can I get escorted to the bathroom by one of your maids?"

Kibum looked towards the tanned boy, his large eyes looking at the queen as if she had offended him in some way. It was the fourth prince, Jonghyun, and his voice sounded the same and still had the same effect on him as before. It truly was a gentle and kind voice, something that you would love to listen to all day long. He really wanted to hear the older boy tell a story, or sing!

Soon, the Queen's glamorous voice spoke up and interrupted his happy thoughts, tone mischievous and ended the discussion as a whole with no one else speaking, "Of course, Maid Lee, escort fourth prince!"

Kibum noticed how the fourth prince's eyebrow made a small tick and his shoulders squared before he turned around and pushed past guards with a sick expression on his face, a short maid shortly scurrying behind him with her head held low.

"I'll have the maid guide him to the grounds," the king straightened on his back and with quick hand movements from respective kings before them, the guards stomped a foot against the floor before they all marched out.

The only ones left in the room were the king, the queen and the crown prince, along with Kibum and his mother who had grabbed a strong grip around his delicate wrist. The guards around stayed stoic, even the young one who Kibum had witnessed grimace at one point.

"What is the meaning of this?" his mother asked, voice laced with something akin to poison.

The queen side-eyed her, about to speak up when the king cleared on his throat deeply. Kibum saw Jinki wince, gaze downcast.

"Maid Hong, take young prince to his room," the king ordered in a hard voice, "This isn't something for him to get his hands dirtied in."

"Your Majesty," his mother tried, "This is about him!"

"He is too young-"

"It's a contest," the queen squeezed into the conversation, "Let the boy watch, Your Majesty. There isn't anything wrong with being a little oblivious."

Concubine Park gave the queen a sharp glare, the king making a stern noise to make her stop immediately.

"Your Majesty," a knight from the side spoke up in a firm voice, "The contest is outside the palace walls."

And the queen scowled, "Going out for once won't harm the young lad, he might need some fresh air."

Kibum stood silent beside his mother who looked like she was ready to tear everyone in the room to shreds like a mother lion tending to her cub, her glare still there and possessive as her grip on him only tightened. The king sighed their way and turned to order the guards to set everything up.

Kibum wasn't sure how to feel about the whole situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OLD 2015 NOTES FROM LIVEJOURNAL:
> 
> I actually wrote this DAAAYYYSSSS ago, but wasnt sure if I wanted to post this........ ended up writing a new ending lol since I wasnt too happy with the previous one. Oh well, this is good and I will write the next one soon


	7. The Seventh

A wooden arrow; the tip sharp like the sinister incisors of a siren. Jonghyun felt its polished, velvety surface with the pads of his fingertips, tasting it.

He let the sharp tip dig in between his index finger's nail, removing some of the dirt that had collected under there. Not poking in too deep, he avoided cutting himself. Removing it from there, the fourth prince of Haneul glanced up from staring.

Before him was a large and spacious field. The field was made of grey, sandy gravel that only had patches of grass on the sides and near the middle where multi-coloured bushes and trees were planted. It was a marvellous sight, watching the round target set up several metres ahead of him and the rest of the teenagers.

Beside him, the young princess of Seoktan stood, her usually black hair glowing of an almost honey brown colour under the broad daylight. In her both hands, she held a longsword, the blade made of strong steel that was designed with carved-in lines that looked like gold. On his other side, Woohyun of Kwon stood.

The boy's hand held a constricting grip on an axe made of white gold, the handle lined with pure gold that protruded and formed into twirls and twiddles. The other hand held a curved sword, the blade's material flat and lightweight but sharp. It was a scimitar, something you rarely found in Kwon.

Jonghyun recognised the design, how the handle was of a chocolate brown, lined with silver and gold at the edges. The curve of the blade was finely cut, the material glowing in the strong daylight soaking the land. It must have been crafted by one of the finest bladesmiths of Jadu, Jonghyun concluded. Only such glorious swords could be found in Jadu, another speciality of the magnificent kingdom that let the nature grow to its fullest, untouched.

Jonghyun changed his line of sight to the princess of Seul, the young girl with sharp and piercing eyes looking right back at him. The fourth prince recognised her from when his slightly older concubine-born half-brother went to a marriage meeting in hopes to marry the young princess, but later refused to face her. Jonghyun had heard the poor young lady was head-over-heels for his brother.

Of course, his own parents were humiliated, but more so were her own over the fact that she hadn't managed to seduce a prince of Haneul. Even though there were plenty of them, a whole five prince's, with two born to the queen; they were still  _highly_  sought after and contacted by many other kingdoms in hopes of grabbing one to themselves. The two oldest were already married to their respective wives, one from Haneul and the other from a nomadic tribe in the north, meanwhile the third prince was awaiting his handsome prince from a small kingdom in the east. His two oldest brothers already had their set of boys, as well. But the Queen of Haneul wanted an heiress, so she pestered her oldest son, the crown prince, to hurry up and conceive his wife and hopefully birth a beautiful little lady.

Haneul was only next after Kwon and Jadu in being the richest kingdom, but was still popular due to the kingdom's exceptional beauty and its special material crafting. It was not uncommon to get marriage offers, but Haneul were very selective in their brides. They wanted to keep the tanned, bronze skin in the royal family, so Jonghyun couldn't quite understand why he had to fight for the young prince of Jadu, pale and measly for being so thick-boned.

If it wasn't for the sirens - or mermaids, as some liked to call them to ease their name - Haneul might have been an even more popular resort to visit and maybe Jonghyun hadn't have to  _compete_  for a  _prince_.

Jonghyun cleared on his throat and stared away from the princess, the usual twinkle in her eyes slightly diminished since his brother walked out on the marriage. And he hated to admit it, but he truly felt sorry in behalf of his stupid brother. Sohee, the princess, was a fun gal who also was one of the four beauties of the United Kingdoms. The queen of Jadu was considered one as well, but when Jonghyun let the haunting image of Concubine Park's beautiful face and figure soak in, he wasn't so sure anymore. Being a mere concubine, it was only logical she wasn't considered more beautiful than the queen.

He twirled the arrow between his fingers, the silky material brushing on his skin. It was crafted in Haneul, same as his bow and quiver, and held great powers even used as weapon without the bow.

Pearly and silvery at the tip, the arrow looked ‘royal’. The bow had a pearly colour as well, with silver lined along the length and forming light waves that shifted to a light purple and blue in the sunlight. It was finely made, the material carefully picked out to only display the best in the finishing product.

Jonghyun knew the face of who crafted it, and it was no human. Not entirely. In fact, it was a sea-hybrid; one of the merpeople.

Although he knew no name, the sea-hybrids known to being private creatures, he could recognise the face of that specific merman straight away. It was a very young face, but his skills were better than any human beings'.

Shaking his head discreetly as he stared down at the ground and at his feet clad in navy and brass boots, Jonghyun shook his bow down from his shoulder and twirled the arrow one last time before he got into position.

He held the bow low, lined the arrow along it and stretched it as he lifted the bow high up. He aimed at the bright sun, and then at the prince of Kwon.

Jonghyun watched carefully as the prince shook the hand where he held the axe and pointed it upwards towards a target much closer than the one Jonghyun has set up for himself.

He turned around and pointed the arrow at the princess of Seul. Surprisingly, she held a weapon; a Kung Fu stick that she worked between her hands expertly.

In front of her, was a circle of dummies that wiggled around when you hit them. She had to work quick and effective to not get hit back.

"Nothing to do, Jonghyun? Not even going to polish your strings?" Woohyun spoke behind him and chuckled, still aiming his axe at the target.

Jonghyun took a quick glance to the side, behind them, where a number of imperial guards stood in front of the members of the royal families. Jadu, Haneul, Seoktan, Kwon and Seul.

He turned his foot towards the prince of Kwon, swiftly turned around and let go of the arrow. With a loud thunk, the arrow landed on the very middle of Woohyun's target.

A loud rupture of cheers behind them made Jonghyun laugh and he lifted his bow, turning slightly to face the crowd. They knew something was bound to happen between the two, as Jonghyun set his marks.

Jonghyun smirked and looked at Woohyun who looked like he had been scarred for life.

"It's polished enough, thank you for worrying, Prince Woohyun," Jonghyun gave Woohyun a quick glance before he stood in front of his own target.

Woohyun immediately switched the look of horror with one of confidence, "How about you stick to your... preferences,"

Jonghyun gave Woohyun a look, "You know, the young prince doesn't need to be in a kingdom like Kwon."

Woohyun effortlessly threw his axe, the blunted weapon hitting just beside his own arrow, "He'd learn more with us, rather than play around in some puddle of water."

"Ridiculous," Jonghyun breathed out a laugh and aimed another arrow at his own target just as the imperial judge signalled for them to start.

He fired his arrow and it landed metres away in the very middle. Glancing at Woohyun, who was grabbing a hold of his axe, he sighed and looked behind him where the royal family of Jadu were sitting.

And there was Kibum, the young prince looking wide-eyed at everything around him. He looked rather horrified at the birds getting too close and each hit at the drums seemed to freak him out.

He must have not been used to going out, Jonghyun thought as he waited for a guard to move his target even further back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OLD 2015 NOTES FROM LIVEJOURNAL:
> 
> I apologise... it almost took me a month x_x but here it is! only 1,4k but the next one will be up sooner I hope!
> 
> A little more background story-telling and woohyun vs jonghyun lol  
> the girls will be more prominent next chapter, they're a bit important aswell. The young guard Kibum kept an eye on will also show up a bit later! He's important... guess who?
> 
> \---new note:  
> ('the next one will be up sooner' and you never heard of that author ever again)


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